For the past three seasons, the Big East has dominated college basketball as the sport's premiere conference. While there have been upswing years from the Big Ten, Pac-10, Big 12 and SEC during that time, perennial powers like Connecticut, Louisville, Villanova, Pittsburgh, Georgetown and Syracuse have carried the league’s name to the top of the charts more recently. But with the conference losing a considerable amount of talent to the NBA after last season, the Big East's reign on college basketball may have to take a year off. So as we start to gear up for the upcoming 2009-10 season, here are the top 10 conferences in the country.

10. Mountain West

Any time a conference loses the majority of its top scorers, it's going to struggle the following season. That could very easily be the reality in 2009-10 for the Mountain West, which will see BYU contend for a fourth straight regular-season conference championship. The Cougars, after all, have an excellent scoring duo in junior Jimmer Fredette, the league's top returning scorer, and senior sidekick Jonathan Tavernari, who tested the NBA Draft waters in the spring but decided to return after averaging 15.7 points and leading his team with 85 3-pointers last season. But don't think Dave Rose's team will run away with things so easily during conference play. UNLV, for one, has a solid recruiting class coming in to complement an experienced veteran like junior Tre'Von Willis, who finished second on the team in scoring last year while managing to also grab 4.3 rebounds and dish out 3.3 assists. Surprisingly enough, with the amount of talent gone from last year, Croatian big man Zvonko Buljan (12.3 pgg, 7.8 rpg) could even make TCU a factor in the MWC title picture. Of course, there is always San Diego State, too, but with the Aztecs losing their top two scorers, it certainly puts BYU right back in the driver's seat next season.

9. West Coast Conference

There has yet to be a better display of dominance within a conference than what Mark Few and Gonzaga have done over the last decade. The Bulldogs have owned the WCC for nine straight seasons, winning conference titles year after year with better than your average "mid-major" talent. Next season, though, could be more of a challenge for Few and company. The 'Zags will desperately miss Jeremy Pargo, Josh Heytvelt, Micah Downs and Austin Daye, who all played significant minutes and attributed for much of the team’s scoring last season. But there’s still hope for 'Zags fans in 2009-10 with Matt Bouldin and Demetri Goodson in the backcourt and junior guard Steven Gray able to fill up the basket on the offensive end. Even so, Gonzaga may have trouble stopping Saint Mary's big man Omar Samhan, who returns for the Gaels after a productive junior season that saw him average 14.1 points and 9.4 rebounds. Portland's Nik Ravio (16 ppg, 6.5 rpg) and Santa Clara's Kevin Foster (14.7 ppg, 2.5 apg), meanwhile, are two guards that could also carry their teams through conference play and into title contention, particularly with a hot stretch of play in the WCC Tournament. But in the end, it’s still Few's conference to lose, and with the way the last nine years have gone for him, there's no counting out the 'Zags ever.

8. Conference USA

John Calipari carried Memphis' and Conference USA's name a long ways during his nine years in Graceland, but that’s about to change with the two-time Naismith College Coach of the Year coming to Kentucky's rescue after the firing of Billy Gillispie. Now C-USA will be heavily dependent on what first-year Memphis coach Josh Pastner can bring to the table after a year-long apprenticeship under Calipari. But with the amount of talent the Tigers lost during the offseason, it's unfair to expect Pastner to keep the conference relevant on a national level — or keep the Tigers' Conference USA win streak of 61 games going very much longer — all by his lonesome. An experienced Houston squad that features a backcourt starring seniors Aubrey Coleman and Kelvin Lewis is one contender who can challenge the Tigers. Coleman returns as the conference's top scorer after leading the Cougars with 19.4 points per game. And with Lewis showing his own set of offensive abilities with his 18-point scoring average last year, it might not be that long before we see a Tom Penders' squad finally dancing again in March. The other big surprise in the league, in the meantime, could be Tulsa. With 7-foot big man Jerome Jordan in the middle and this year's conference tournament in their backyard, the Golden Hurricane have just as good of a shot as anyone to wear the C-USA crown and earn a trip to the NCAA tourney.

7. Atlantic 10

Over the past four years, Xavier has become the cream of the crop in the Atlantic 10 thanks to the leadership and coaching of now-Arizona coach Sean Miller. So with Miller in Tucson and the Musketeers starting a new era under Chris Mack, the conference picture becomes a little more wide open in 2009-10. While Mack and company could still very well win a fourth straight A-10 title in the spring, UMass has a chance to contend with a big-time scorer in Ricky Harris, a 6-foot-2 senior guard who averaged a team-high 18.2 points per game last season. Fordham also has a star offensive weapon returning to the Bronx in sophomore point guard Jio Fontan, and Richmond has an experienced one-two punch with Kevin Anderson and David Gonzalvez back for Spiders coach Chris Mooney. But if there's one team that could knock Xavier off its perch, it's most likely Dayton. The Flyers return 6-foot-8 senior Chris Wright, who led Brian Gregory's team in scoring and rebounding last season at 13.3 points and 6.6 boards per game, and if Xavier's Jordan Crawford or even La Salle's Rodney Green doesn't manage to out-do him over the course of the season, he could very well end up winning the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year award.

6. Pac-10

Sending six teams to the Big Dance the last two seasons, the Pac-10 has made its voice heard amidst the traditional East Coast power conferences with young, talented recruiting classes at Washington, UCLA, Arizona State, USC and even Washington State in recent years. But with few veteran stars remaining in the league other than Arizona's Nic Wise, the conference will be younger and more unpredictable than ever. Though Washington and Lorenzo Romar should remain the favorite to win a second straight conference title, Mike Montgomery will have Cal right there with the Huskies. That's because the former Stanford coach will have his top two scorers back in seniors Jerome Randle (18.3 ppg) and Patrick Christopher (14.5 ppg). Down in Southern California, meanwhile, Ben Howland will be attempting to rebuild a UCLA program that saw the final pieces of its previous Final Four teams — Darren Collison, Josh Shipp and Alfred Aboya — leave and highly-touted point guard Jrue Holiday jump for the NBA after a pedestrian freshman season. But knowing the kind of coach Howland is, the Bruins might not be down for long, with the same fortune also applying to Arizona and first-year coach Sean Miller.

5. Big East

Unlike last season, it won't be a typical year for the Big East in 2009-10. With the absence of such stars as Hasheem Thabeet, DeJuan Blair, Terrence Williams, Jonny Flynn and Jerel McNeal, the conference certainly won't be sending eight teams to the Big Dance on Selection Sunday next March. There still remains some quality returning talent scattered throughout the league, however. Connecticut lost an imposing frontline that included the 7-foot-3 Thabeet and power forward Jeff Adrien, but Jim Calhoun will welcome back speedy point man Kemba Walker and even more importantly, senior guard Jerome Dyson, who missed the Huskies' Final Four run after tearing his lateral meniscus in February. Stanley Robinson and Gavin Edwards also give UConn a nice one-two punch inside, and if Ater Majok ends being as good as advertised, the Huskies could be on their way to winning another Big East title. Bob Huggins and West Virginia will be there to make it difficult for UConn to run away with things and highly-touted freshman Lance Stephenson might even show some flashes of greatness at Cincinnati, but Villanova, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Marquette and Syracuse all lost a lot from last year and won't have the firepower to contend with the Huskies or Mountaineers down the stretch in conference play.

4. SEC

There was little debate last season over which BCS conference ranked the worst among the six. That honor undoubtedly went to the SEC. But the arrival of former Memphis coach John Calipari at Kentucky this past spring has quickly changed the conference's outlook in 2009-10. While Jodie Meeks' decision to bolt for the NBA hurt the SEC’s star power to some degree, the return of Kentucky big man Patrick Patterson and the last-minute signings of John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins have Calipari and the Wildcats back on the national radar once again. Tennessee and Mississippi State, meanwhile, also has some big-time talent to showcase next season. The Vols, for one, return senior wingman Tyler Smith, who has a knack for scoring and brings a sense of leadership to a program that's transformed under Bruce Pearl's tutelage. And for Rick Stansbury and the Bulldogs, getting Jarvis Varnado, the nation's top shot blocker the past two seasons, to return along with a commitment from top-five recruit Renardo Sidney, has fans in Starkville, Miss., anxious to see what could transpire.

3. ACC

Long considered by many to be college basketball's deepest and toughest conference, the ACC hasn't lived up to that billing with the Big East sending seven and eight teams to the NCAA tournament bids the past three seasons. But even with the Big East down from last year, the ACC isn't back on top like many might expect it to be. That's largely due, however, to the departure of North Carolina's powerful trio of Tyler Hansbrough, Wayne Ellington and Ty Lawson, Wake Forest's inside-outside tandem of Jeff Teague and James Johnson and Florida State's do-it-all scorer Toney Douglas. Meanwhile, Gerald Henderson of Duke, K.C. Rivers of Clemson and Tyrese Rice of Boston College have also moved on from the college ranks, leaving the league's few remaining veteran stars — Duke's Kyle Singler, Wake's Al-Farouq Aminu and Maryland's Greivis Vasquez — a chance to finally stand as the elite players in the ACC next season.

2. Big Ten

The Big Ten made considerable strides from previous down years several seasons ago with seven teams earning invitations to the Big Dance in 2008-09. This year, believe it or not, that number could actually increase. The conference, in fact, has a chance to send eight teams to the NCAA tournament in March, which would match the Big East's record of eight in 2006 and 2008. While Michigan State, Purdue, Minnesota, Illinois, Ohio State and Michigan should all be locks to earn bids next March, Penn State and Wisconsin could also find their way into the tourney mix with some quality non-conference wins and a .500 record in Big Ten play. The league, however, doesn't have as strong of a freshmen class coming in as the Big 12's. Therefore, veterans like Evan Turner (Ohio State), Kalin Lucas (Michigan State), Robbie Hummel (Purdue) and Manny Harris (Michigan) will be relied upon to carry the conference's name nationally on their way to competing for this year's league title.

1. Big 12

With two of the nation's top five teams, including next season's national title favorite and potential preseason No. 1, the Big 12 makes a convincing argument to be the top conference in 2009-10. While Kansas and Texas will be among the country's elite teams and could even meet in Indianapolis when April rolls around, the conference also features two of the top big men in Kansas' Cole Aldrich and Iowa State's Craig Brackins. Throw other big-time returning players like Kansas' Sherron Collins, Oklahoma State's James Anderson, Oklahoma's Willie Warren, Texas' Damion James, Kansas State's Jacob Pullen and Texas A&M's Donald Sloan into the conversation, along with highly-touted freshmen Xavier Henry (Kansas), Avery Bradley (Texas) and Keith Gallon (Oklahoma), and there's no question that the Big 12 has the strongest crop of talent on the hardwood next year.

To see the full list in photos, click here.

Not all of the schedules for next season have been officially released yet, but there's several quality non-conference games already slated for December and January. While one of them happens to be a rematch of last year's national championship game and three others appear on Texas' 2009-10 slate, here are a few other non-conference contests that will piqué the interest of any college hoops fan. Reminder: This list features only games that have been officially announced by the school to date.

Dec. 1: Michigan State at North Carolina (ACC/Big Ten Challenge)

North Carolina had the pleasure of dominating the Spartans twice last season, especially the second time in Detroit for the 2009 national championship. But things will be quite different when these two teams square off in Chapel Hill during the third week of the season. The Tar Heels, for one, won't have Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson or Wayne Ellington on the floor while Goran Suton and Travis Walton have both left East Lansing. Instead, it will be UNC's powerful interior game featuring Tyler Zeller, Ed Davis and newcomer John Henson going up against a Michigan State frontline composed of Raymar Morgan, Durrell Summers and Delvon Roe. Prediction: Michigan State wins.

Dec. 2: Illinois at Clemson (ACC/Big Ten Challenge)

There's no question that the Michigan State-North Carolina matchup is the best game the ACC/Big Ten Challenge has to offer next season, but this could also provide some thrills in early December. While the Tigers' backcourt will suffer greatly after losing K.C. Rivers and Terrence Oglesby, Clemson coach Oliver Purnell will have to turn to senior big man Trevor Booker for offensive production and some much-needed team leadership. Illinois coach Bruce Weber, meanwhile, will have his own issues on the perimeter with the departures of guards Trent Meachem and Chester Frazier, but Demetri McCamey and a talented recruiting class could be the difference for the Fighting Illini. Prediction: Illinois wins.

Dec. 12: Mississippi State vs. UCLA (Wooden Classic)

First, Renardo Sidney committed to UCLA. But when Ben Howland and his staff refused to sign the local Fairfax High product, he went across town to sign with USC. The Trojans, though, did just the same as their Pac-10 foes, pulling their offer off the table as well. With time running out quickly, Sidney sat down with Rick Stansbury and made up his mind that it was time to go back home to Mississippi. Now coincidentally, if the 6-foot-11 big man manages to pass his SAT — and that is a big "if" still — he'll have a chance to return to Southern California to face a program that didn't want any part of him because he had yet to take the exam. And the Bruins could be in for a real slugfest considering that Howland's team doesn't feature a lot inside, with 6-foot-8 Drew Gordon serving as UCLA's primary big. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, could have one of the best frontcourt tandems in Sidney and 6-foot-9 senior Jarvis Varnado, the nation's leading shot blocker the past two seasons. Prediction: Mississippi State wins.

Dec. 19: North Carolina at Texas

The Tar Heels will have already faced a quality Michigan State team by the time they arrive in Arlington to take on the Longhorns, and that should certainly help a rather inexperienced UNC squad that returns only two starters in power forward Deon Thompson and defensive-minded Marcus Ginyard. The real battle, though, will be on the interior, where Texas big men Dexter Pittman and Damion James will look to match up against a young, yet extremely talented frontline for Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams. Prediction: North Carolina wins.

Dec. 22: Michigan State at Texas

Tom Izzo's team has had the Longhorns' number the past two seasons, but Rick Barnes and company will be looking to change that trend when they welcome last year's Big Ten champs to town right before the holidays. Though Michigan State should have the advantage in the backcourt with speedy playmaker Kalin Lucas running the show, Texas' size and depth on the interior could prove to be too much for the Spartans' frontcourt to handle for 40 minutes. Prediction: Texas wins.

Jan. 1: West Virginia at Purdue

After two solid seasons in Morgantown, Bob Huggins might finally have a team that could contend for the Big East title in 2009-10. A lot could be revealed about the Mountaineers' season on New Year's Day when they travel to Mackey Arena to face one of most experienced teams in the nation. That's what Matt Painter will have next season, as all five starters — including forwards Robbie Hummel and JaJuan Johnson — will be back for the Boilermakers. Prediction: Purdue wins.

Jan. 9: Kansas at Tennessee

With games at UCLA and Temple along with home games vs. California and Michigan, Bill Self and his players aren't taking things easy in the first two months of the 2009-10 season. But playing the Volunteers in Knoxville could be the toughest challenge the Jayhawks face before meeting Big 12 foe Texas at the Frank Erwin Center, and the Tennessee faithful will be ready to welcome a Kansas team that many are predicting to cut down the nets in Indianapolis. Prediction: Kansas wins.

Jan. 23: Texas at Connecticut

It doesn't get much better than a Big East-Big 12 showdown between two potential top 10 teams in the middle of the conference season. The veteran Longhorns, who will have prior non-conference battles against North Carolina and Michigan State (both in the state of Texas), will travel to the Northeast for a date with the legendary Jim Calhoun and a UConn team that will be talented despite losing their frontcourt duo of Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrien along with steady point guard A.J. Price. Prediction: Connecticut wins.

Other notable non-conference games already announced: Wake Forest at Purdue (Dec. 1); Kansas at UCLA (Dec. 6); Arizona at Oklahoma (Dec. 6); Xavier at Kansas State (Dec. 8); UCLA at Notre Dame (Dec. 12); Georgetown vs. Washington (Dec. 12); Connecticut at Michigan (Jan. 17); Michigan at Kansas (Dec. 19); California at Kansas (Dec. 22); Texas A&M at Washington (Dec. 22).

Over the past three years, college basketball has seen some of the nation's top talents come and go after one season due to the NBA's minimum age requirement. And with many of the game's big names heading to the pro ranks after last year, the 2009-10 college hoops season will witness a new group of stars shining between the months of November and April. So as the summer wears on and the recruiting trail heats up, here are the top 10 players returning to college basketball next season.

Honorable Mention: Ed Davis, North Carolina

Davis didn't get a lot of opportunities during the Tar Heels' national championship run to show how talented he is, but the sophomore from Richmond, Va., did show some promise in the NCAA tournament with strong performances against Radford (15 points and five rebounds) and Michigan State (11 points and eight rebounds). After averaging 6.7 points and 6.6 rebounds in only 18.8 minutes per game, the 6-foot-10 forward will become the focal point of North Carolina's offense this fall and could easily earn All-America honors by season's end.

10. Willie Warren, Oklahoma

Playing with the nation's best player gave Warren a chance to get acclimated with college basketball during his freshman year, but he showed at times last season that he can take over a game with his offensive dexterity. Ranking second in scoring for the Sooners at 14.6 points a game, the 6-foot-4 Texas native also dished out 3.1 assists to go along with his 47.3 shooting percent from the floor and 37.2-percent mark from behind the 3-point line. 

9. Evan Turner, Ohio State

Turner had to wait a year before he could show Thad Matta what he's really capable of, but after a sophomore season in which he posted 17.3 points and 7.1 boards each time out, Buckeye fans should be excited to see the 6-foot-7 wing return to Columbus for his junior campaign. While Turner's efficiency shooting the ball (50.3 percent from the field and 44.0 from three) is as good as anyone's, the First Team All-Big Ten selection can also pass the ball, averaging four assists per contest last year.

8. James Anderson, Oklahoma State

Anderson got some heads to turn with a strong freshman campaign, but it was his second year in Stillwater that put him on the map as a big-time scorer. The 6-foot-6 Arkansas native, for one, knocked down over 40 percent of his 3-point attempts in 2008-09 - best of any Oklahoma State player last season - and his 18.2 points ranked among the best in a Big 12 Conference that included Naismith Player of the Year Blake Griffin.

7. Kyle Singler, Duke

At 6-foot-8 and 235 pounds, Singler may be undersized against other power forwards, but he's proved in his first two collegiate seasons at Duke that his physical limitations have yet to hurt his overall game. Draining 38.3 percent of his 3-pointers last year, the junior forward possesses a sweet stroke from the perimeter and has shown that he can also get after it on the defensive end with an average of 7.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 2008-09.

6. Patrick Patterson, Kentucky

Patterson was expected by many to declare for the NBA Draft this past June, but the 6-foot-9 power forward thought otherwise with former Memphis coach John Calipari and top recruit John Wall arriving in Lexington early this offseason. Coming off a sophomore season that saw him score 17.9 points, grab 9.3 rebounds and block 2.1 shots a game, Patterson has the offensive and defensive skills to take over as the SEC's Player of the Year next season.

5. Sherron Collins, Kansas

The best point guard returning to college basketball next season, Collins can shoot the rock (37.6 percent from three in 2008-09) while leading an offense loaded with talent on the wings and down low. With a junior season that saw him average 18.9 points and 5.0 assists now in his back pocket, the diminutive floor leader out of Chicago should be an even better playmaker for the Jayhawks this fall.

4. Craig Brackins, Iowa State

Brackins didn't get a lot of national attention playing for the 15-16 Cyclones last season, but he certainly knows how to put up big numbers on both ends of the floor. While the 6-foot-10, 230-pound native of Palmdale, Calif., averaged 20.2 points and 9.5 rebounds as a sophomore, he managed to drop 42 points and 14 boards on Kansas, 38 and 14 on Houston and 32 and 16 on Northern Iowa during the 2008-09 campaign.

3. Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest

Aminu has as much ability and athleticism as any other player in the country, and though the sophomore forward could have been a first-round pick in this year's draft, he still has plenty of room to improve. After posting 10 double-doubles and finishing his freshman campaign at Wake with 12.9 points and 8.2 rebounds, the ACC All-Freshman selection could turn into the conference's top talent with teammates Jeff Teague and James Johnson now playing in the NBA.

2. Cole Aldrich, Kansas

The 6-foot-11 big man from Bloomington, Minn., only scratched the surface as a sophomore last year, averaging a double-double at 14.9 points and 11.1 rebounds per game. But after not even entering his name in the 2009 NBA Draft, Aldrich should star with teammate Sherron Collins on a loaded Kansas squad that will be highly favored to win the 2010 national championship in Indianapolis.

1. Luke Harangody, Notre Dame

Harangody might not be an All-Star at the next level, but after two stellar seasons at Notre Dame - including last year's All-America line of 23.3 points and 11.8 rebounds per game - the 2008 Big East Player of the Year is undoubtedly the top returning player in college basketball next season. Though he's a tad undersized at only 6-foot-8, the senior forward has shown - in addition to his offensive versatility and commitment to defense - that he's one of the hardest workers in the game today.

Other notable returning players: Greg Monroe, Georgetown; Kalin Lucas, Michigan State; Da'Sean Butler, West Virginia; Tyler Smith, Tennessee; Greivis Vasquez, Maryland; Manny Harris, Michigan; Jerome Randle, California; Solomon Alabi, Florida State; Tyshawn Taylor, Kansas; Jerome Jordan, Tulsa; Kemba Walker, UConn.

To see the full list in photos, click here.

In college basketball, it's all about environment.

Sometimes the venue that a team must play in can be as big a factor as the team it's playing against.

From the Cameron Crazies to the rowdy Irish faithful inside the Joyce Center, college basketball's spirit and tradition rests largely within its arenas and particularly in its student sections.

And while each gym differs in size, look and ambiance, only some can make you feel as if you're part of the action.

Once again, choosing which ones to keep on and off of this list did not come without struggle. There are only 10 spots, and there are more than 10 great arenas in college basketball.

Yes, I realize that North Carolina's Dean Smith Center, Michigan State's Breslin Center, Oklahoma State's Gallagher-Iba Arena, Louisville's Freedom Hall, Arkansas' Bud Walton Arena, Syracuse's Carrier Dome, Washington's Bank of America Arena, Illinois' Assembly Hall, Butler's Hinkle Fieldhouse, Florida's O'Connell Center, Southern Illinois' SIU Arena, Gonzaga's McCarthey Athletic Center and UC Santa Barbara's Thunderdome were left out.

They're all great atmospheres for watching a game, too.

But if you're more than just the average college hoops fan, these 10 stadiums are ones that you've got to visit before you die.

Honorable Mention: Louis Brown Athletic Center, Rutgers

Piscataway, N.J., isn't a city to write home about, but "The RAC" is one of the loudest and most intimidating environments in college basketball. The fans, for one, are right on top of the players, while the actual structure of the building (in the shape of a condensed tent) might contain more sound than a private concert hall.

10. Pauley Pavilion, UCLA

With 11 national championship banners hanging from the rafters, it's hard to leave the Bruins' long-standing arena out of the conversation. And while Pauley won't exactly look the same after its $185-million facelift, it will always be remembered for showcasing some of the game's greats - Lew Alcindor, Bill Walton and Gail Goodrich to name a few - during their time in Westwood.

9. Kohl Center, Wisconsin

There's a reason why the Badgers are one of the best home teams in the nation, and it's largely due to the fact that "the Grateful Red" remains one of the most passionate student sections in all of college basketball. In fact, between the 2001 and 2007 seasons, Wisconsin managed to lose only 11 times while compiling 125 wins at the Kohl Center - that's what you call home-court advantage.

8. McArthur Court, Oregon

It's been a few years since the Ducks were considered a national power, but "Mac Court" (also known as "The Pit") still knows how to pack a punch. The maple floor, in particular, bounces under the weight of the student section, which completely surrounds the court, while the buildings' outdated configuration has the fans nearly hovering over the players.

7. Edmund P. Joyce Center, Notre Dame

The Irish historically are known as a football school, but the basketball program has witnessed some major landmarks inside the Joyce Center, including the end of UCLA's NCAA record 88-game winning streak. Nowadays, the arena and its boisterous fans provide a significant home-court advantage for Notre Dame, which rattled off 45 straight wins at home before losing to Big East foe Connecticut last season.

6. University Arena, New Mexico

There really isn't anything else like "The Pit" in college basketball. With the court submerged 37 feet below grade level, Joe Boehning's architectural experiment during the 1960s has since produced one of the most hostile environments to play in over the last 40 years.

5. The Palestra, Penn

The Quakers might not exactly be high profile, but they do play in the Cathedral of College Basketball. With only 8,722 seats and the stadium's bleachers hugging the court, things can get pretty noisy in this historic University City arena, especially when the Big 5 schools go toe to toe every fall.

4. Assembly Hall, Indiana

Indiana basketball might be going through some tough times of late, but it has one of the most dedicated fan bases of any Division I program. Opposing teams, particularly those from the Big Ten, can be sure to face deafening decibel levels when they come to Assembly Hall, which is what has made the Hoosiers such a tough home team - including winning streaks of 50 and 35 games - in the past.

3. Rupp Arena, Kentucky

With a capacity of 23,500, the Wildcats' home looks more like a football stadium than a college basketball gym despite remaining one of the sport's most renowned shrines. At the time of its opening in 1976, Rupp was the largest arena ever built for basketball, and it still is while leading the nation in attendance year after year.

2. Allen Fieldhouse, Kansas

When it comes to college basketball tradition, there might not be a stadium with more charisma than "The Phog." Resembling the look of an old Kansas barn, Allen Fieldhouse has been home to more than 600 victories by the Jayhawks - including 64 straight between 1994-1998 - thanks to a student section that's one of the most animated and raucous in the country.

1. Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke

When you think of college basketball, you think of Cameron. Between Krzyzewskiville, the Cameron Crazies and press row on top of Coach K Court, there's really no atmosphere as intense and exciting as the Blue Devils'.

To see the full list in photos, click here.

Scandal and controversy at Memphis might be taking college basketball by storm these early summer days, but the NCAA is doing its best to improve the sport in every which way possible as of late.

Less than two months after it was agreed upon to move the deadline up to May 8 for underclassmen declaring for the NBA Draft, three other rules were modified for the upcoming 2009-10 season on Monday.

And while it may have taken longer than it should have to see such changes put in place, each is a step in the right direction for college basketball.

For one, the rule change involving block-charge calls has been long overdue.

The NBA, for quite some time now, has incorporated a restricted area inside the key, something that college basketball still does not have and still won't have next year.

But the NCAA has at least clarified that starting in the fall, secondary defenders cannot establish position underneath the basket, or in their words, "between the backboard and the front of the rim."

Because it's way too often - particularly during the conference tournaments and in the NCAA tournament - that a controversial charging call in the closing minutes influences the outcome of a game and sometimes a team's season.

All it takes is a dotted half-circle four feet from the center of the hoop, and we wouldn't have a lot of the bad calls that help decide games in late February and March.

The second rule change approved by the NCAA involves free throws following an injury and is suspect at best.

Unlike in previous years where the shooting team's coach would get to choose any player on his roster to take the shots, the opposing coach will now be allowed to select one of the team's four remaining players on the floor.

This rule adjustment certainly gives the opposing team a much bigger advantage than in the past.

Instead of allowing the shooting team to at least pick one of its four remaining players, the rule gives all the power to the opposing team in such a situation.

Not only would the shooting team be losing a player, but it also could lose out on two points should the opposing coach pick a weak free-throw shooter on the floor.

Therefore, coaches must be much more wary of who they have on the floor late in a game, because an injury could cost them a player, two points and possibly a win.

The final rule change passed by the committee has to do with officials expanding instant replay to help determine flagrant fouls, specifically ones resulting in ejection.

Similar to the NBA's foul system, college basketball referees can now still call an intentional foul or technical foul for contact without also ejecting the player.

This alteration allows for further investigation of hard fouls, giving officials more time and resources to make the correct call.

So though it might take a little bit longer for the zebras to get the call right with such a rule change, it's worth the extra two or three minutes for everyone involved - the players, the coaches and even the fans - to get the fairest and most honest officiating in each and every game starting next season.